Technology’s Addiction.

I've said, “Technology destroys our children”
I wanted to present the facts.
Most our children are growing up with a phone in their hands.
What is it doing to them?
Many articles are discussing its addiction properties and warnings.

What kind of technology addiction is there?
One article listed these:
Gaming, compulsive internet use, online gambling, online shopping, virtual sex (cybersex), pornography, online auctions, online betting, to name only a few.

What makes technology addictive?
Instant Gratification. 
Research suggests technology triggers the brain’s rewards with dopamine (feel-good chemical) release, similar to substance abuse like alcohol or drugs. 
Escapism.
Technology provides psychological escape to avoid real or perceived problems.
Sense of Connection or Social Validation
People with poor social skills and anxiety are drawn by the Internet’s anonymity.
Personal interaction online is less intimidating.
But not as fulfilling.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

What are signs your child may be addicted to technology?
-Spending increasing amounts of time on digital devices
-Constantly thinking about using technology
-Experiencing irritability, restlessness, anxiety when unable to access technology
-Pursuing technology to the exclusion of work, school or personal obligations
-Withdrawing from social interactions
-Eye strain, headaches, or disrupted sleep patterns due to excessive screen time
-Decreased interest in previously enjoyable activities
-Hiding or lying about technology use
-Depression
-Anxiety
-Mood swings when minimizing tech use
-Boredom without phone

What are some health risks for addiction?
Psychiatric symptoms, especially among teenagers, including:
-depression
-anxiety
-loneliness
-low self-esteem
-feelings of social isolation
-inadequacy at work or school
Is it any wonder that psychiatric problems are increasing in our youth? No correlation? I think not!

Physical risks include:
-eye strain, headaches, and vision problems due to excessive screen time
-sedentary lifestyle leads to obesity, cardiovascular issues and musculoskeletal problems
-disrupted sleep patterns and fatigue caused by late-night screen time

Mental Health issues:
-increased risk of anxiety, depression, and mood disorders
-impaired cognitive function and attention span, affecting school or work’s performance
-social withdrawal and loneliness

Behavioral development impaired
-technology addiction hinders real-world relationships and social skills
-indifference with community and environment
-impulsive or risky behavior, as in cyberbullying or sharing personal information
-decreased ability to focus on tasks

Emotional Risks 
-stress, frustration and emotional instability when technology is interrupted or restricted
-decreased self-esteem through comparison with others on social media 

Joey has questioned psychologists about their development progress.
They observed that at the age their patient became addicted was the age where their emotional development stopped.
When they stop the addiction, they remain at the age when they started until they work through those stages.
There is no skipping developmental stages.
For example, if a child started drugs (it doesn't matter what the addiction channel is, the process is the same) at 10. 
If they were to stop at 30, they would have the emotional capacity of a 10 year old.

With all these facts, parents are still saying, “Technology is here. We can’t undo it.”
True.
But you can control what technology you allow in your home and in your children’s hands. After all, you pay the bill.
Unless you are like us, whose son was able to get a phone without our consent or permission or knowing…
When I asked phone carriers how he can get one, they responded, “If he has an ID, he can get one.”
Where do they get the phone? Walmart sells them without contract. Pay as needed. Often they're free.
Wow! 
No parental constraints. 

If you sense your child has one, he probably does.
They are good at keeping and hiding what they are addicted to.
And you want to believe them, but don’t.
The danger is real.
The symptoms are red flags.
We don’t have to lose our children to drugs, their phones will do it for them.
 

https://addictionresource.com/addiction/technology/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/behavior-disorders/addiction-to-electronic-devices

I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras

Child Training
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Technology's Addiction
Freedom To Choose
The Minimalist Mom: Simple Steps to Rescue Your Child from Digital Overload
Catering to the Child
Using Stories To Discipline
Are You Being Challenged?
Making Your Child Obey
The Test
Do You Have Ugly Kids?
Do You See the Project or the People?
Are You the Child or the Parent?
Church Time and Quiet Time
Are You a Helicopter Parent?
Controlling the Angry Child
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Homeschooling Myths Debunked
Preparing My Sons for Marriage
Trust and Obey
Made To Work
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How Do You Love Your Child?
Raising the Impossible Child
Premises for Child Training
Teen Trials
Preteen Trouble
A Place To Call Your Own:
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The Why, When and How of Child Training
Freedom To Choose
Eight Don'ts of Discipline
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To Have a Hamster To Hold: A Case Study in Discipline
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Time Out or Restoration
Training for Truth
Look What I Can Do?
Where's the Box
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Sleep--It's for Your Brain
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What's the Value of a Dollar, Part 2

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More faith articles are found here:

under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Or here:

under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Articles on Suffering can be found  here, 

under Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
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